This is a picture I took on a trip to Burma late 2007, early 2008.It's a photo of two novice monks waiting to be picked up for theirearly morning begging round. Normally the streets of Mandalay wouldbe filled with monks but things were ominously quiet following thecrackdown on anti-government protesters in Rangoon.

The picture goes against every law of composition, rules that I oftenget obsessed with, but somehow the frame feels perfectly balanced tome. It's always exciting having managed to capture something nicewithout focusing too much on rules and theory.

I like the crumbling wall in the background, it seems to have beenpatched up several times. A big doorway leads into a shop apparentlyselling springs of every colour and size. But mostly, I like thepicture for the young monks with their lacquer bowls, their sombrefaces and bright red robes.